Indiana Online Academy vs Homeschool: They Are Not the Same Thing

Parents searching for an alternative to traditional school in Indiana frequently encounter two options that sound similar but are legally and practically very different: virtual public schools like the Indiana Online Academy and Indiana Connections Academy on one hand, and independent homeschooling on the other. Both allow a child to learn at home. That is where the similarity ends.

Understanding which category each option falls into matters before you make a decision — because the rights, obligations, and flexibility associated with each are completely different.

What Indiana Online Academy Actually Is

Indiana Online Academy (IOA) is a virtual public charter school. Students who enroll are public school students. The state funds their education, the school sets the curriculum, the school tracks attendance, and the school administers Indiana's mandatory standardized assessments (ILEARN, IREAD).

IOA students are subject to the same general obligations as students at any public school — regular attendance requirements, state testing participation, and adherence to the school's academic calendar. The instruction happens via a computer at home, but the legal classification is identical to attending a brick-and-mortar public school.

This means:

• The state tracks your child's enrollment and attendance
• Your child must sit for ILEARN and other state assessments
• The school controls the curriculum and pacing
• Withdrawal from IOA is a school transfer, not a homeschool withdrawal
• The school issues the diploma and transcript

There is nothing wrong with IOA as an option for the right family. But it is not homeschooling in any legal sense.

What Indiana Connections Academy Actually Is

Indiana Connections Academy operates on the same model. It is a tuition-free virtual public school authorized under Indiana's charter school law, operated by a private management company (Connections Academy) under a state charter. Students are enrolled in a public school. The state provides the curriculum, which is structured and sequenced to meet Indiana Academic Standards. Attendance is tracked daily.

Connections Academy has an accreditation. It issues transcripts and diplomas that carry public school standing. Students participate in standardized testing. Graduating students receive a public high school diploma.

Again — this is a public school that happens to operate entirely online and at home. It is not homeschooling.

What Independent Homeschooling in Indiana Actually Is

Independent homeschooling in Indiana means the parent establishes a non-accredited nonpublic school in the home. This is the legal framework established by State v. Peterman in 1904 and codified in Indiana's current compulsory attendance statutes.

As an independent homeschooler, the parent — not the state — controls the curriculum, pacing, schedule, and assessment approach. The state does not track your attendance. You do not participate in ILEARN. No accredited school is issuing a diploma; you issue it yourself as the parent/administrator of your own nonpublic school.

The legal requirements for independent homeschoolers in Indiana are minimal:

• Instruction must be in the English language
• The educational program should address foundational academic subjects
• You must maintain a daily attendance log (180 days per year is the instructional standard)
• Students in grades 6-12 should receive instruction on the Indiana and U.S. Constitutions under IC 20-30-5-1

That is essentially it. No registration with the IDOE. No curriculum submission. No state testing. No home visits. The freedom is genuine.

The Core Decision: Control vs. Convenience

The practical difference comes down to what matters most to your family.

Virtual public school (IOA, Connections Academy) offers:

• Free curriculum provided by the school
• A structured academic calendar with clear expectations
• Certified teachers available for support
• State accreditation and a standard public school diploma
• No out-of-pocket curriculum costs

What you give up:

• Control over curriculum content, pace, and approach
• The ability to skip state standardized testing
• Flexibility over the academic calendar
• The ability to accelerate or decelerate based on your child's needs

Independent homeschooling offers:

• Complete control over curriculum, pacing, and scheduling
• No mandatory state testing
• Flexibility to travel, adjust hours, and structure the day however you choose
• The ability to align education with your family's values and your child's learning style
• No state oversight of academic content

What you take on:

• Full financial responsibility for curriculum (though Indiana's $1,000 per-child state tax deduction helps)
• Responsibility for transcript creation and diploma issuance
• Administrative record-keeping (attendance log)
• More legwork for college admissions (no automatically recognized school record)

A Common Misconception: "I Already Homeschool" After Enrolling in IOA

This is the most frequent source of confusion. A parent who transfers their child to Indiana Online Academy sometimes tells family and friends that they are now homeschooling. From a legal perspective, they are not. They are a public school family whose child happens to be learning at home. The distinction matters in several practical ways:

• If a family enrolled in IOA misses too many synchronous sessions, they face the school's attendance consequences — not the more forgiving 180-day independent homeschool standard
• If a family enrolled in IOA decides to switch to independent homeschooling later, they need to formally withdraw from IOA just as they would from any public school
• If a family says "we homeschool" when they mean IOA and a misunderstanding arises with DCS or another authority, the legal landscape is completely different from what an independent homeschooler faces

How to Withdraw From IOA or Connections Academy to Homeschool

If you are currently enrolled in a virtual public school and want to transition to independent homeschooling, you are withdrawing from a public school — not simply stopping a program. The same withdrawal requirements apply as for any public school:

For K-8 students: Submit a written letter of withdrawal stating you are establishing a non-accredited nonpublic school. Send via Certified Mail.

For high school students: You must sign the state's IC 20-33-2-28.6 form at the school (this may be handled remotely or at the virtual school's administrative address) before the withdrawal is complete. Do not skip this step — it protects your child from a dropout classification and BMV license referral.

Which Is Right for Your Family?

Neither option is inherently better. Families who want structure, a familiar academic framework, and a zero-cost curriculum often do well with virtual public school. Families who want genuine control over their child's education, freedom from standardized testing, and the flexibility that true independent homeschooling provides choose the nonpublic school path.

The important thing is to enter either option understanding what you are actually choosing. Virtual public school is not homeschooling. Independent homeschooling is not virtual public school. They coexist as separate legal categories in Indiana.

If you are moving toward independent homeschooling and want to understand exactly how Indiana's withdrawal process works — from the letter you send to the district, to what happens at each grade level, to what the school can and cannot require — the Indiana Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers the full process step by step.

See more United States homeschool guides →